Extraction Gas and Oil shale: The Controversy of Fracturing in the regulations of the European Union and U.S.

Related Practices

According to the U.S. Department of Energy , from 2013 at least two million oil wells and gas in the United States have been hydraulically fractured , and that currently about 95% completed oil wells and gas in the U.S. is hydraulically fractured . Hydraulically fractured wells represent 43 % oil and 67 % of the current natural gas production in the United States . Safety and environmental health concerns about hydraulic fracturing appeared in the 1980s and are still being debated at the state and federal government . Vermont and New Jersey have banned the practice , with other states , including New York , placing regional moratoriums in place.

” Fracking ” was commonly used in the oil industry in Canada since at least the mid-1960s . Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in Alberta since the late 1970s. Emphasis will also focus on the impact of oil and gas activities on the water and shale soils , with ” pipeline ” and rail transport of crude oil, including the recent derailment in North Dakota and Canada.

Recent EU Commission Activity

The European Commission has proposed that EU member states accept the rules of the environment and public health by allowing hydraulic fracturing to develop the resources of shale gas. The Commission has adopted non-binding regulations to propose legislation that if after 18 months, a study has shown the Member States have taken adequate measures to protect the environment of the exploration of shale gas .

In documents prepared for 2030 Energy and Climate Commission package , the European Commission recognized the importance of the development of shale gas, but also recommended stricter regulation .